Chapter 9

I know that if Garam really wants to kill me, it won't matter even if I beg on my knees. But still, I want to live. Upon hearing my words, his face changed as if he heard something absurd.

"I won't kill you."

He said peacefully.

What?

I was so nervous I fell on the spot. Seeing me like this, Garam clicked his tongue and strode toward me. The sound of footsteps echoed again. I was reminded of the scariness I felt earlier, so I closed my eyes and moved by reflex, but nothing happened. Instead, there was a sound of dust blowing. After coughing from the dust that blew in my nose, I opened my eyes again and was surprised to see him sitting in front of me.

Garam tends to pay the most attention to his appearance out of all the other concubines. That is because the emperor preferred a man with a beautiful appearance. Someone who gets terribly irritated with just a stain on their clothes is now sitting on the ground? I was so surprised.

He rummaged around his waist and took out his sword and put it on the ground. Then, he made a pile from all the daggers he took out from his arms. After putting everything in one place on the side, he stretched his hands and showed them to me.

"I won't kill you."

"…"

He… I see.

I nodded my head a couple of times while digesting what just happened. My heart is still pounding, but I wasn't as scared as before. I was so surprised earlier I thought I was going to die. Burns are said to be the most painful when it comes to human suffering.

(Remember when she said Garam's ability is fire.) I breathed out a sigh of relief.

"…Are you scared a lot?"

While I was calming myself, Garam asked me. I looked at his uncomfortable face. It seems that either some aides or servants told him to say his words nicely before recklessly attacking. No, that can't be it. Did the court ladies see him come?

I then raised my head to answer him. Wait, what did he ask again? I politely bowed my head and said,

"I'm sorry."

"No, I'm not asking -"

He sighed instead of finishing his sentence. He opened his mouth a couple of times as if debating what to say next, and ruffled his hair.

"Ah, really."

I just thought I was going to die, but I'm fine, what's wrong with him?

"I came to apologize."

"What?"

I made a face. You're here to apologize?

"I brought back your maid. And I'll be at this palace again from today."

Garam said with his face full of discomfort. Seeing it, I smiled softly. Of course, it was more an ambiguous smile. Someone pressured him…

If the maid ends up being a spy, I'm sure the emperor will take care of it and I'll make sure she doesn't take my bed again.

"Thank you."

I didn't appreciate it at all, but I had to be polite like earlier when I apologized. The thing is, Garam's face was full of wrinkles and he looked like there was another problem. Even though I frowned a lot, I try not to have it where wrinkles are left on my face. What's the issue?

"Don't you get mad?"

"Is there a reason to?"

Don't you dare get upset. I trembled at the thought of living with his scary face. He ruffled his hair again at my smooth answer. The fact that his head doesn't become like a birds nest is due to the court ladies whom he had trained.

"I let Jo Yoon take your maid away."

Hmm. I smiled embarrassingly. I almost said 'yes, you did' but then I would probably be in trouble.

"No you didn't. I gave her to him."

I'm starting to get tired of this. I feel uncomfortable sitting on the ground and I don't think he planned on getting up anytime soon.

Ah, he ruffled his hair for the third time, and now it's starting to look like a bird's nest.

"You…"

"Miss!"

At that moment, a loud voice interrupted Garam from talking. He made a face at that noise. Was that why it was so loud earlier?

"Where are you, Miss!"

A familiar voice rang out somewhere.

"Little Miss!"

Until then, I was thinking peacefully but my eyes opened wide because of the name I was called.

Me?

"I'm here!"

I shouted loudly. As soon as my voice was heard, the noisiness stopped. If the story of my disappearance spread, then they'll think I ran away. I don't want to be locked up in a room. There was an urgent sound of footsteps, and soon a court lady appeared.

"Miss…!"

Her face looked exhausted. Are you relieved or angry? The latter would be bad. If it were the original Sanya, she would run to the emperor asking for sympathy, but I couldn't. I waited calmly for what she would do next, and she walked towards me and then flopped down.

"Miss, the doctor…"

Oops.

I bit my lips. It looks like there's a lot of dirt on my white coat.

"…I'm sorry"

I said so with considerable sincerity. Then, her face changed. She bit her lips like me then carefully reached out and hugged me.

"It's okay now."

…Huh?

Regardless of my embarrassment, she patted my back a couple of times. She is treating me like glass that would shatter immediately when touched. But I don't think she realizes that Garam was still sitting there.

"Well, can I…"

"Oh, I'm sorry,"

She quickly let go of me. I glanced at her desperately. The cost of not greeting a person with a status is not small. But I chose to ignore it. Fortunately she was quick to come to sense as she discovered Garam and greeted him.

"Thank you for your help."

"That's enough."

Garam replied in a tone which fitted him very well and he clearly thought it was cool. But my mind was focused on the words of the court lady in front of me.

Help?

It would help to take Garam away from this palace. No matter how close those court ladies are to the emperor, there's no way they could just ask the concubines for favors so easily. I asked carefully,

"…Did you find me?"

"Huh?"

Garam, who was asked suddenly by me, looked surprised. His eyes blinked a couple of times, and then he nodded his head.

"…Why, I mean, thank you. I must've caused you a lot of anxiety."

I almost asked him why, but I hurriedly cleared up my mistake. Fortunately, he didn't say anything because he probably didn't hear my words clearly. I don't understand why these people are looking at me like that.

I got up from that thought while dusting off my clothes and took out my hand.

"…?"

I raised my head and saw the Garam had a confused look on his face. His eyebrows were raised and he looked like he didn't know what he was feeling. Why does everyone look like they want to ask me questions?

He then reached out his hand towards me.

What are you asking for? I thought about it for a while, and looked at his objects that were laying on the ground on the side. Did he want me to pick these up and hand it to him? Ugh, how annoying.

I walked towards the weapons he had piled up. I tried to lift them all at once, but it was heavy and dirty. Eventually I was able to put everything on his hands besides the long sword. I wanted to sneeze. How long did this take? Garam then trembled like a doll that just woke up.

"This isn't it!"

What was I supposed to do then?

"No, it's… forget it. You didn't have to pick these up."

He walked toward the pile where all his daggers were earlier and picked up his long sword to put it back on his waist. Then he scratched his head a couple of times and looked at me.

"…Thank you. For picking these up."

At those words, I smiled. However, I started getting goosebumps on my arm. I looked and they were red.

I think I'm going to throw up.